Submarine electrical cable



(No'ModeL) I H. 0. SPALDING. SUBMARINE ELECTRICAL CABLE.

Patented Sept. 29, 1885.

INVENTIIIFK WITNEESEE r fir UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY G. SPALDING, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SUBMAR I NE ELECTRICAL CABLE SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 327,484, dated September 29, 1885.

Application filed April 1-2, 1884. Renewed February 28, 1895. (Nomodel.)

Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Submarine ElectricalCables, of which the following is aspect fication, reference being badto the accom- I panying drawings, forming apart of this appli cation,which is a division of an application filed by me November 30,1883, andnumbered j In other applications filed bynie I have shown and describedforms of electrical cables in which one or more insulated sheathings of1 metal are combined with conducting cores or Fig. 3 shows aspirallywound wrapping of wires and protective jackets or armor. Tothese ,rables my present invention relates, the llll1)l0"811l6l]t8involved therein being in the materials used in-iusulating andprotecting the metal sheaths, and in' the method of applying the same,and also in the material of the sheaths, as will be more fullyhereinafter described.

The appended drawings illustrate a complete cable embodying. myimprovements, the several figures showing the cable in the successivestages of its manufacture.

" Figure 1 shows the core a, composed of one or more electricalconductors arranged in any preferred manner, and covered by aspirallywound strip of paper, b, which is saturated with parafline andthen coated with a layer, 0, of a varnish, composed wholly or in part ofany resinous substance, though I prefer to use a varnish made of ninetyparts of shellac and ten parts of boiled linseed oil brought to thedesired consistency by the addition of alcohol. In Fig. 2 is shown thenext layer, d, which is of metal foil, wound on over the varnish 0before the same has hardened or dried.

paper, 6, over the foil (Z, and a coating of varnish, f. Fig. 4 showsthe core with the second wrapping or sheath of metal foil, 9. Fig. 5shows the same inclosed by a layer of paper, h, and a coating ofvarnish, t. Fig. 6 shows the core with the outer layer of paper, It.Over this, as shown in Fig. 7, is applied a thick coating of abituminous substance, Z, into which is wound a serving of twine, m, and

over this is applied the shown in Fig. :8.

The layer Zis eomposcdof pure Trinidad asphalt, with some substance torender it permanently visco:ussuch as linseed-oil or the residuum of thepetroleum-still. \Vhen the twine m is wound into this material, it becomes saturated with it and forms an impervious coating of greatflexibility.

The functions of the insulated metal sheaths are mainly to shutoiiinduction, as has been more fully described in my other applicationsabove referred to. The inner sheath, or that designated by the letter(if, may therefore be of any good conducting and pliant metal. The outersheath, however, should be capable jacket or armor a, as

of resisting the corrosive action of the substances usually foundinsolution in sea-water, and should all'or'd complete protection againstdestructive insectssuch as the well-known borers. I therefore use forthis a non-corro sive metal, such as pure tin.

Instead of the specified varnish and bituminous substance which I havedescribed, I may use any resinous varnish and any bituminous compoundthat possesses practically the same qualities of plasticity andinsulation as those named.

The several layers on the core may be formed or applied in any otherway, though I prefer to wind spiral strips upon the core, winding thesuccessive strips in opposite directions, as indicated in the drawings.

I do not confine myself herein to any special form of conducting wire orcore, nor to the specified construction of protective armor;

nor do I claim the specific forms shown apart from the sheathings ofmetal and intermediate layers of paraliined paper, inasmuch as these arematters involved in tions for Letters Patent now on file.

\Vhat I now claim, is

1. An electrical cable consisting of a central wire or wires, a layer ofinsulating material composed of paper saturated with para-dine andcoated with a resinous varnish, sheathings of metal insulated from onea11- other, and an external insulation, as set forth.

2. The combination, in an electrical cable, with a conducting wire orwires, of sheaths or layers composed of paper saturated with tween thelayers of paper, so as to be completely insulated thereby, as set forth.

3. The combination, in an electrical cable, with a conducting wire orwires, of a layer of paper saturated with paraffine and coated with aresinous varnish, layers or sheaths of metal insulated from each other,and a pro- 'tective jacket or armor surrounding the same,

as described.

4. An electrical cableconsistingof a central conducting wire or wires,a'la-yer of in sulating material composed of paper saturated withparafline and coated with a resinous varnish, two'sheathings of metalinsulated from one another and from the central core, a serving of twineor cord wound in a bituminous coating, and a protectiye armor or jacketsurrounding the whole, substantially as set forth.

5. In an electrical cable, the combination, with a central conductingwire or wires, of sheathings of metal insulated from one another andfrom the conducting wire or wires, the outer sheathing being ofnon-corrosive metalsuch as pure tin-as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of April,1884.

HENRY O. SPALDING.

' XVitnesses: J AMES W. Fos'rna,

AUGUSTINE L; BA'BBIDGE.

